Southern California -- this just in

Costa Mesa considering sex offender ban at parks

June 17, 2011 | 8:40
am

Costa Mesa is the latest Orange County city drafting a proposal that would ban registered sex offenders from public parks.

The move comes at the request of Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas who has been visiting cities around the county in recent weeks to ask various city councils to adopt ordinances modeled on an O.C. law that bars sex offenders from parks, unless they have special written permission from the Sheriff's Department, the Daily Pilot reported.

The county law prohibits sex offenders from parks, beaches and harbors without the written permission from the Sheriff's Department. Violators face up to six months jail time or a $500 fine.

So far, Westminster and Irvine have adopted such ordinances. Placentia, La Palma, Rancho Santa Margarita and Buena Park are among other cities working on passing similar bans against sex offenders, said Susan Schroeder said, the district attorney's chief of staff.